Selective oxidation of p-methoxytoluene to p-methoxybenzaldehyde over supported vanadium oxide catalysts

Partial oxidation of p-methoxytoluene to p-methoxybenzaldehyde was studied in vapour phase at normal atmospheric pressure over titania, alumina, titania-alumina, titania-silica, titania-zirconia, titania-silica-zirconia, silica-zirconia, magnesia, calcia-magnesia supported vanadia catalysts. Vanadium oxide on basic supports, MgO and CaO-MgO, shows better selectivity towards p-methoxybenzaldehyde with considerable conversion of p-methoxytoluene at 673 K temperature. However, other acidic single and mixed oxide supported vanadium oxide catalysts exhibit poor selectivity at high conversion.